Well, that’s not totally true; my meals turn out pretty tasty sometimes. It’s more that I’m a lazy cook. If something is going to take more than 10 minutes to prep and more than 30 minutes to cook for dinner, I usually end up reaching for a bowl of cereal instead. Not the most healthy nor Instagrammable of a meal choice for a fitness blogger and personal trainer, but hey — I’m human, too.

When all my other girlfriends would show up at parties and get-togethers with delicate little homemade creations (cantaloupe lollipops with prosciutto, anyone?), I’m that girl who arrives with a Dr.Oekter frozen spinach pizza in one hand and bag of pretzels in the other. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I have the time — or want to spend the time — on meal preparation.

That’s why I get super excited when I find tasty, healthy meals that require very little prep and cooking time, and make a point to include them on client meal plan guides like this gem of a recipe.

I think I found this recipe for turkey chili in the local newspaper a few years back, but it’s so easy to make that I no longer need to look at the recipe. Which is probably a good thing, because I’m sure the clipping is long gone or crumpled up in a cookbook somewhere.

Not only is this recipe high in protein and full of nutritious veggies, but also great to take for lunches for the week or to store in an airtight container in the freezer for later.

Easy and Healthy Turkey ChiliYields 5-7 servings

Ingredients:

1lbs lean ground turkey

1/2 a sweet onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

Large can of mixed beans

500ml or so of salsa

1 cup v8 juice

Whatever veggies you fancy

Directions

1. Add the olive oil to a large pot, heat to medium and cook onions and ground turkey until turkey is cooked thoroughly.

2. As the meat is cooking, cook whatever veggies you want to add (I usually do kale, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms) in a separate pan with olive oil (or steamed if you want to make it even healthier!).

3. When both are cooked, add the veggies to the meat, stir for about a minute then dump in the beans, salsa and V8 juice. Simmer on med-low, stirring occasionally until it’s warm enough to eat!

What do you usually add to chili? What’s your favourite fall meal? Are you sad that fall is just around the corner or looking forward to cooler weather? Do you cook big batches of food to freeze for later?

Disclaimer

I am not a medical professional nor a registered dietitian. While I source science-based research where possible, views expressed on the blog are my own and are based on personal experiences. My views should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise or wellness program.

All images and content are copyrighted. Please do not use or repurpose without my permission.